Certainly almost every person has at one time or another been to a picnic. Many have also camped in the woods. At such events hardly a soul has not been faced with the problem of where to put things requiring a level surface. As an example, the seemingly simple task of where to safely place a drink can easily become a problem not worth the inconvenience of solving when situated outdoors. While naturally occurring elevated surfaces exist, they are not always convenient. When such natural occurrences are not present, the person faced with the problem usually considers placing the item on the ground. This is often an unacceptable solution for several reasons. First, the ground may not be level. Second, the ground may not be flat. Third, in placing any item temporarily on the ground, there is always a risk of it being knocked over accidentally.
Prior to the present invention, other available solutions to this inconvenience also had drawbacks. One could, of course, create a level and flat surface by digging in the ground (usually with one's foot). Obviously this has the drawbacks of creating unsightly blemishes to the ground and perhaps even unnecessarily dirtying one's clothing. Another solution was not to stand where desired, but rather to position oneself in the vicinity of a surface on which one could balance the item. Again, the availability of such a surface may have posed a problem. Even when such a surface was available the inevitable "balancing" necessary made this solution often undesirable. Another solution was to simply disregard your initial desire to set the item down and instead hold it (frequently between one's knees). This not only accepted the inconvenience, but it required some degree of dexterity and often was unsuccessful as that item or other items frequently ended up in the user's lap. Basically, prior to the present invention, no device provided a solution which solved the problem in accordance with the magnitude of the inconvenience. Simply put, those faced with the problem usually accepted it as one of those inconveniences that inevitably accompanied enjoyment of the outdoors.
By stating that solutions were not available which were in accord with the perceived magnitude of the problem, it is not to say that no solutions were available. In fact, devices to solve the problem did exist. However, they were not practical from both a convenience and expense perspective. Certainly, picnic tables are well known. These provide exactly the desired effect. They do not, however, solve the problem in a manner which is both convenient and inexpensive. From a convenience perspective, the table must be placed in the desired area in a spot which is sufficiently level and flat. This placement often required more than one person as well. As to cost, the table itself was usually expensive enough that it did not solve the trivial problem of a temporary shelf for a minor item. Folding tables are also available. These devices, being relatively lightweight, again solved the problem, but not in accordance with the magnitude of the problem. They are usually much too expensive. They also rely, as does a picnic table, on the availability of a relatively level and flat ground surface. In order to overcome this latter limitation, three legged tables have been invented, however, they also fail to address the problem in accordance with its magnitude.
In other fields, devices have been proposed for different purposes; however, they are not adequate solutions to this particular problem. In the field of hunting devices, stands and seats have been proposed. The seat devices are available for attachment to trees and the like and, at first glance may seem to provide a solution to the problem. They do not, however, because they do not allow for stability along each of the three major axes. U.S. Pat. No. 4,600,081 to Wade is one such tree seat. The design of the Wade invention will tip forward unless the securing chain can be tightened adequately. However, the chain can only be adjusted in increments of a link size. For tree seat designs this is sufficient because as the user sits upon the Wade seat the leg supports dig into the tree. This gouging combined with the chain's inherent harshness can present problems for the tree itself, which is avoided by the design of the present invention. The fact that these designs function primarily as seats allows them to be inherently unstable as the user, having two feet planted firmly on the ground, can provide him or herself. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,601,364 to York, and 4,928,793 to Westimayer demonstrate this accommodation. York utilizes a single angled support member to retain the seat portion in a horizontal plane, but the invention relies on the user to provide stability with his feet planted firmly on the ground.
Tree stands have also been proposed for hunting purposes. Since they are designed to be used without contact to the ground, stability has been more of a focus in their design. They have not provided an unobstructed surface as necessary to address the present problem. Rather, side supports and the like are commonplace in order to provide adequate stability. In addition, separate stabilizing harnesses are also included as the degree of stability of hunting tree stands is not usually even commensurate with that of the present invention--which is designed not for hunting purposes, but rather for temporarily holding minor items.
In the field of outdoor domestic items, some camping devices are also available. Of those items available, none address the present problem. Rather, the devices available are usually hooks and brackets and the like from which items can be hung. Certainly, when hanging an item, stability in its present sense is irrelevant. Thus, these devices have not provided a solution to the present problem. In fact, their very development highlights that the relevant field is a relatively slowly developing field which is characterized by incremental improvements on existing designs rather than radical departures from them. Within the field of outdoor domestic items, the focus on hangers and the like has actually directed &.hose skilled in the art away from the concern of providing an inherently stable shelf. Indeed, efforts in unrelated fields such as hunting devices, even suggest that those skilled in the art would be directed more towards external stabilization devices rather than a design which is inherently stable. Instead of focusing on new shelf designs, those skilled in the art have been directed to relying on ground support for stability as typical tables do.
The present invention recognizes and address each of these concerns and overcomes the limitations perceived by those skilled in the art by presenting a design which, among other aspects, allows for an inherently stable surface which is available and can be utilized with effort which is commensurate with the magnitude of the inconvenience.